Avoiding the AI Backlash
The hidden risks of your internal rollout
🔎 TL;DR
AI is reshaping work, but poor implementation is driving employee disengagement. Rushed AI rollouts erode trust and make employees feel like afterthoughts.
Internal messaging matters. When AI-generated communication feels hollow or disconnected, it signals to employees that efficiency is valued over authentic leadership. This quick guide can help you fix AI “tells” and keep your voice authentic.
Bumpy AI adoption heightens reputational risks. Companies like Google and Klarna have struggled with AI-driven decisions that spilled into the public conversation.
Engagement still drives performance. Companies that prioritize employee trust, communication, and culture see higher profitability, productivity, and retention.
The future belongs to companies that invest in AI and their people.
AI is transforming work at breakneck speed, but in many companies, it’s being rolled out haphazardly, widening the gap between leaders and employees. Used poorly, AI erodes trust, engagement, and retention, driving down productivity instead of improving it.
The companies that thrive in the AI era won’t be the ones automating the most, or the fastest. They’ll be the ones doubling down on what AI can’t replace: trust, transparency, and human connection.
What AI “Says” to Your Employees
As Brené Brown points out in Dare to Lead, trust requires vulnerability. For organizational leaders, that vulnerability is demonstrated in their communications to employees. So it’s really important to be intentional about AI use in CEO messages (for example). AI-generated language can strip away the nuance and humanity that builds trust. When emails from leadership or intranet messages are obviously written by AI, they can feel hollow, as if “the lights are on, but no one’s home.”
That might seem like a small thing. But messaging that feels robotic sends a clear signal to employees: efficiency is more important than authenticity.
Research shows that AI has both a quality problem and a trust problem, which means it can’t be the default voice of your organization. As my own leader at Yahoo often said, “Internal communications done well will connect employees to their leaders, each other, and to a larger vision.” AI can support communications, but it can’t replace the human heart behind the message.
The best way to use AI is like a junior assistant or brainstorming partner. I find it helpful for early drafts and speed, but never the final voice. The responsibility of message ownership still belongs to the leader who understands the broader organizational context, business goals, and cultural landscape.
Employee Engagement Is Still the Foundation
Leaders today face a new kind of challenge: adopting AI in ways that preserve trust, connection, and humanity in the workplace. As Brené Brown points out, fear of irrelevance is one of the biggest shame triggers at work, and rapid AI adoption is likely intensifying that fear.
That’s why empathy, well-executed change communications, and an understanding of the broader cultural moment are more essential than ever. When employees feel respected and included in the change process, engagement rises. And, with it, real business outcomes. Companies with the highest engagement see:
18% higher productivity (sales)
10% higher customer loyalty
23% more profitability
78% less absenteeism
21–50% lower staff turnover
Engagement directly impacts performance, morale, and retention. Companies that overlook culture in favor of speed or automation are setting themselves up for long-term challenges, as well as missing out on what makes their workforce thrive.
Getting It Wrong Comes at a Cost
Even successful companies can stumble if they ignore how AI is affecting employee sentiment. Here’s what it looks like when the rollout goes sideways:
Google: AI use in leadership communications
At Google, an AI-powered question-gathering tool was used during all-hands meetings to collect employee questions and summarize them before presenting them to leadership. It was intended to streamline communication, but employees felt that the tool softened the tone of tough questions, making it easier for leaders to sidestep real concerns. While Google claimed engagement had increased, some employees described the meetings as “increasingly pointless,” citing a drop in meaningful dialogue and transparency.
Klarna: Lack of internal messaging about AI leads to employee discontent
At Klarna, CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski’s public enthusiasm about replacing jobs with AI has been met with internal backlash. His Glassdoor approval rating is a low 34%, and employee reviews cite disconnection, chaotic change, and a lack of internal communication from leadership. If AI is being used in internal messaging at Klarna, it’s only adding fuel to the fire.
The Future Belongs to Companies That Invest in People
AI isn’t going away—and it shouldn’t. Automation can absolutely improve workflows, speed up decision-making, and remove friction in all kinds of systems. But the companies that thrive will be the ones that pair AI with human-centered leadership.
Greencore, a UK food manufacturing company, recently reported a 6% increase in production per labor hour. What changed? CEO Dalton Phillips credited internal engagement. “We put a real focus into ensuring all colleagues know what’s going on across the business,” he said on a 2024 investor call. “For example, every week I send out a personal update video to the entire organization.”
The company also improved HR support, streamlined benefits, and invested in policies that support early-career talent and working parents. In other words, they implemented tech, while investing in people, too.
Leaders have a choice. AI can be used to cut corners and reduce headcount. Or it can be implemented thoughtfully—enhancing communication, deepening trust, and helping employees do their best work. The companies that choose the latter will retain their best people and outperform the competition in the long run.
Next Steps
For Business Leaders:
Don’t over-automate. AI is a tool, not a replacement for leadership.
Prioritize transparency. Let employees know how AI will impact their roles, responsibilities, and workflows.
Monitor sentiment. Engagement surveys, Glassdoor reviews, and attrition patterns will tell you how your people are feeling.
For HR & Culture Leaders:
Advocate for mindful AI use. Automation should support—not replace—your people strategy.
Listen beyond surveys. Watch internal forums, exit interviews, and chat trends for early signs of disconnection.
Keep purpose front and center. As AI takes on more tasks, make sure employees still feel their work matters.
For Internal Comms Teams:
Don’t let AI write solo. Employees can tell when a message was generated completely by AI. Use AI to make your work more efficient, but always add your human voice. Here’s a quick guide to help you fix AI “tells” and make sure your messages ring true.
Close the trust gap. Internal comms should enhance transparency and connection—not dilute it.
Help leaders stay visible. Video updates, real-time Q&As, and direct messaging keep leadership personal in an AI-heavy world.
Use your freed-up bandwidth wisely. If AI is helping with the heavy lift, use that space to level up your influence, partner with leaders, and tell the bigger story of where your company is headed.
*****
Why Human Beings / Human Doings?
I use terms like “workplace for human beings,” “human being-orientation,” and “human doing vs. human being” interchangeably to describe human-centered, people-first workplaces (as opposed to transactional ones that often contribute to burnout and disconnection.)
Organizations with human-centered cultures and internal communications are more productive and resilient. Why it matters.
All content is available without a paid subscription, so please pass it along to anyone you think might benefit.
Chime in! The voluntary paid subscription gives you the ability to comment for the lowest possible monthly fee. This pay-to-comment model helps protect the space from bots, trolls, and drive-by cynicism. Please be thoughtful and respectful if you choose to engage. 💛
Feedback? I’d love to hear it.